1854–1933In 1854 the brothers Löb and Moses Simson bought one third of a steelhammer works in Suhl (Germany). The production of carbon steel began and the firm Simson & Co. was founded in 1856. The factory produced guns and gun barrels in the years following.

1934–48Hitler's government forced the Jewish family Simson to flee the country in 1936. Under the dispossession of Jewish industrialists a trustee took control of the firm, and so by merger with other factories the Berlin Suhler Waffen- und Fahrzeugwerke (BSW) was formed. In the same year the factory produced its first motorcycle, the BSW 98, which had a 98 cc engine and two-speed transmission. Critics of the Nazi government suggested a different meaning for the BSW initials: Bis Simson Wiederkommt ("until Simson returns").

A very nice 98K for sure. It should probably be noted that Simson was a major arms supplier during the Wiemar period and from 1925 until 1933 was the exclusive manufacturer of P-08 pistols for the German Reichswehr. Between 1924 and 1934 Simson supplied 68% of all military orders for firearms including the Dreyse MG 13 machine gun. Unfortunately, shortly after the 1933 rise of the NSDAP, Simson's business came under the microscope of Fritz Sauckel , Governor of Thuringia, after a letter complaining about Simson's monopoly was sent to A. Hitler by Fritz Walther and the "Association of Zella-Mehlis Gun Manufacturers". That brought the end in sight and the brothers Simson and some of their employees were arrested for cheating the government. Arthur Simson signed a document admitting guilt under duress and fled the country on April 14, 1935. From that point on, Fritz Sauckel took control of the assets of Simson and renamed the company Berlin-Suhler Waffen und Fahrzeugwerke abbreviated BSW. Some Germans less loyal to the regime, used these initials to mean "Bis Simsom Weiderkommt", or Until Simson Returns. At the end of WW2, the Thuringia area fell into the Eastern zone and 4,200 machines from the BSW concern were transported to Russia as part of war repatriations.Bicycle, motorcycle and stroller production resumed with the remaining equipment under the name of VEB Fahrzeug- und Geratewerk Simson Suhl until 1952. In 1952 under authorization from the family, the name Simson reappeared on motorcycles produced by VEB. Production of firearms transferred to Ernst Thaelmann Werke.After the reunification in 1989, Dr, Ewald Meyer (successor to Arthur Simson) attempted to come to an agreement with Sturm-Ruger to start up firearms production again in Suhl. However, the manufacturing facilities remaining after the failure of the DDR were insufficient and a business case to resume any kind of firearms production could no be put together.